Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen recently recounted his first encounter with Wolfgang Van Halen, calling it a wonderful moment.
Allen, who was a recent guest on the “Paltrocast” along with recording artist Lauren Monroe, got to meet Wolfgang when Mammoth WVH opened for Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe at three shows in the UK and Ireland.
“I was very fortunate to meet Wolfie’s dad,” Allen said. “I met him through a friend of mine, Steve Lukather. That was back in the 80s. So I had the opportunity to get on a golf cart with Wolfie the other day and as we were going up to the stage, I said ‘You know, I met your dad through Steve Lukather.’ I guess Wolf is still very close with Steve. It was a really wonderful moment. What a beautiful human being, he’s so well-balanced and we all just rally to support him because he’s gone through a lot of hardship. A lot of loss. Beautiful guy. I guess we’re going to keep in touch, so it was nice to meet him.”
Allen was asked if he got to exchange any good Van Halen stories with Wolfgang.
“No. I didn’t feel it was appropriate,” said Allen. “But I felt it was nice to tell him that I did know his dad, which I figured would endear him to me. [Laughs]”
Darren Paltrowitz can be heard on the David Lee Roth podcast The DLR Cast with co-host Steve Roth. You can also catch his interviews with various celebrities on his podcast the Paltrocast. His complete interview with Alex Winter can be viewed HERE.